The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1887-03-12

! consignment reached London safely, the
tiger, an exceptionally fine one, found a
ready market, and the consignee, in re
hitting the proceeds. solicited other like
ccnsignments. To meet the difficulty oil
providing cages, he agreed to keer
cages, Manchester made, in stock al
Whydah. This was pleasant news, and
when received at Wari, the mate and the
widow. who had become attached TO
each other and were only waiting for n
missionary to turn up and splice them.
concluded to push the business and
make regular shipments of tigers.
From that time ali went well till the
business attracted the attention of All
grimy, king of Dahomey, who ordered
Kankore. the petty king who ruled in
the War; district, to bring the mate 10
his country seat, which was not far FROM
Abomcy, the capital. This was startling,
but there was no help for it, and with q
heavy heart the mate left the widow and
started on the journey. He and Kanko.e
Travelled toward Abomey as rapidly as
circumstances would admit, receiving
many attentions on the way, which Kan
kore appropriated to himself till they
drew near to their journeys end, when
he evidently wished that it was over.
At Alladda. their first post, they were
met by dele cation headed by Bullbil,
the CHI eff of that section, who sought to
do honor to the mate ard show proper
respect for Kankore. At WhyboO, the
next STATEN, they We're invited IT, = bar
becue--a pig roasted under gum tree.
with side dishes Of yaTs. sharks steak
"a delica"y at that distance from the
coast, and toasted owls: thu toaStino
being done by maidens dressed in parrot
feathers. At Hocholla, the last station
before reaching Abomey, they were
treated to Il war dance, which was
thought ominOus by the trave!rs, but
they had but little time for reflection.
for they were hurried on 10 Abomey,
where they were made to pass in and out
of the six gates of the capital and then
up to the three palaces Of the Sing. to
see, possibly, their high. red-cIay walls.
stack over with skull and marrow
bones.
1t last they reached the Kings coun-
try seat, and found him on q throne of
skulls; his Prime Minister, Mikenno,
oAohNih, Oh OhO OI1O, anu Oil tuC OtntI
Chopum, the public executioner, with
his broad axe over his shoulder. The
King frowned and scowlcd when the par
ty drew near. impaticntly waced his
hand for the drums, HON blasts, cow
bells, and yells to cease their noise. took
a swig of malofu, handed the gourd back
to the cup-bearor, and stared at the
mate as though he would look him out
of countenanCe
These preliminaries over, he told the
mate that he had sent for him to build
a corral and put it in working order for
he, the King, intended to 90 into the
business of catching and shipping tigers.
This was unpleasant news to Mlkenno.
the Prime Minister, who saw that the
catching of tigers so near the capital
would be attended with more or less
trouble to him, ard he ut once suggested
that it would take time to build a corral.
while the King, by confscating the one
at Wari, which had been run without q
license. could have the advantage of
what had already been done, and at once
derive revenue from the enterprise.
The King saw the point. commended the
wisdom OF his servant. ordered the mate
and all who were associated with him
to quit the country, and appointed Stan
bi commissioner to 90 to War; and
run the corral on the Kings account.
The mate. accompanied by Kankore and
Stanbi, started at once for the coast and
when they reached WAR; he told the
widow to pack their kit, while he gavo
attention to pulling up and roofing out
every vestige of catnip-clearing up, he
said, which satisfied Stanbi, so long as nc
injury was done to the corral. 1t was
with heavy heart that the widow at
last turned from the spot that had been
SO interwnynn with hnr liz and hn,,;